#BuckFiftyADay Since March, 2014

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

#BuckFiftyADay: Dean Smith's Classroom

So, as I wrote yesterday, my brother Scott became a regular
attendee at Dean Smith’s practices in the early 90s. Since I worked in the
Sports Information Office, I’d been privy to a few practices, and was keenly
aware of Coach Smith’s meticulously choreographed sessions. I’d told Scott and
he wanted to see for himself because, as he says, “There’s a connection between
all sports.” What he witnessed was down-to-the-minute schedules, where student
managers ran the clock, where balls were racked and quickly positioned for the
next drill. The horn would sound, instructions were relayed, and it was on to
the next thing. Statistics were kept in practice. Not so much points, but
things like charges drawn, loose balls recovered, successful box-outs, as well
as fundamental errors. My brother hasn’t taken it to that extreme in baseball,
but I know he’s tried to make efficiency one of his coaching hallmarks.